Trip could be good for beleaguered Parker

SALT LAKE CITY — Tony Parker could be the protagonist in one of those Southwest Airlines “Wanna Get Away?” commercials.

In the midst of a divorce from his actress wife, there’s a sense the 28-year-old Spurs point guard might benefit from a road trip — like tonight’s to face the Jazz — in order to get his mind off the turbulence at home.

“Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria filed for divorce in a Los Angeles court Wednesday. In acknowledging the impending dissolution of his marriage of three years, Parker vowed to “focus 100 percent on the Spurs.”

The trek to Utah gives him that chance.

Ironically perhaps, Parker has paired one of his most tumultuous seasons off the court with one of his best on it.

Throughout the Spurs’ 9-1 start, Parker has averaged 18.6 points and a career-high 7.6 assists to go with two steals per game. He is shooting 52.4 percent.

Only two other players are averaging as many points, assists and steals as Parker — Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook and Washington rookie John Wall.

“He’s doing things almost perfectly,” Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. “It’s great to see him play like that. It’s one of the reasons we’ve got this kind of record.”

Get out the vote: If any Spurs player outside the Big Three is going to be voted into this year’s All-Star Game, he’ll have to win as a write-in candidate. Only Tim Duncan (forward), Ginobili and Parker (guards) appear on this season’s ballot, unveiled Thursday.

Duncan has played in each of the 12 All-Star games since joining the league in 1997-98, and has been voted a starter 11 consecutive times. Parker was selected as a reserve in 2006, 2007 and 2009. Ginobili has made one All-Star appearance, in 2005.

Sloan out: Utah coach Jerry Sloan will miss tonight’s game against the Spurs and Sunday’s trip to Portland to attend the funeral of a family friend. Lead assistant Phil Johnson will take over the Jazz in his absence.

Sloan, the league’s longest tenured coach in his 23rd season with Utah, has missed 16 games in that time.

After the game, Bonner said he expected to be ready to play in Utah, but the final determination might not come until after this morning’s shootaround.

If he does play, Bonner will put on the line a streak of nine consecutive made 3-pointers, dating to Sunday’s win at Oklahoma City. He is shooting 83.3 percent from beyond the arc (10 of 12).

Against Chicago, Bonner helped spark the Spurs after starting the second half in place of DeJuan Blair.

“On the tear he’s on right now, and with what he does stretching the floor, that opens up the lanes for everyone else,” Duncan said. “If they leave him open, he’s shooting the ball so well right now, he can knock them down.”